After their elimination, Neymar sat on the field, crying profusely. Many teammates, including Vinicius and Raphinha, came to console the 34-year-old player.
At MetLife Stadium on 5/7, Brazil held 34% possession, had fewer shots on target (4-5), and committed more fouls (7-4) than Norway. The outcome could have been different if Bruno Guimaraes had not missed a penalty in the 14th minute and Endrick had not shot wide when facing the goalkeeper in the 59th minute.
Late in the match, Norway capitalized on Erling Haaland's scoring prowess to take the lead. The Manchester City striker headed in from a left-wing cross to open the scoring in the 79th minute, then doubled the lead with a left-footed shot from outside the box in the 90th minute. Brazil managed to pull back one goal, thanks to Neymar's penalty in the 90+10th minute.
The round of 16 exit marks Brazil's earliest departure from the tournament since 1990. Since 1994, the "Seleçao" (Brazilian national team) reached the quarterfinals 8 times, the semifinals 4 times, the final three times, and won the championship two times.
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Neymar wipes away tears after Norway's 2-1 victory over Brazil in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, USA on 5/7. Photo: AP
With his late penalty goal, Neymar became the second Brazilian player to score in four World Cups, following Pele. He scored 4 goals in 2014, 2 goals in 2018, 2 goals in 2022, and one goal this year. Previously, Pele scored 6 goals in 1958, one goal in 1962, one goal in 1966, and 4 goals in 1970.
The penalty against Norway also increased Neymar's national team scoring record to 80 goals, three more than Pele.
Beyond his two scoring records, Neymar also reached two other somber milestones. He is the second Brazilian player to participate in four World Cups without winning the title. The first player was Thiago Silva, who competed in the 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 tournaments.
Pele, Nilton Santos, Leao, Castilho, Cafu, Djalma Santos, and Ronaldo Nazario also appeared in four World Cups, but all were champions. Among them, Pele is the only player to have won the title three times.
Due to fitness and form issues, Neymar nearly missed the 2026 World Cup. His inclusion was confirmed when coach Carlo Ancelotti announced the squad in May, one month before the tournament began. He only played in two of Brazil's five matches, coming on as a substitute in the second half of both the 3-0 group stage win against Scotland and the loss to Norway.
In a brief interview after the loss to Norway, Neymar announced his retirement from the national team. If so, the 34-year-old star will conclude his international career with 130 appearances, 80 goals, and 58 assists. His only major title with the national team is the 2013 Confederations Cup. He won an Olympic gold medal in 2016, but that was with the U23 team.
Brazil last won the World Cup in 2002. Six consecutive tournament failures mark the longest streak of disappointing results in the history of the record five-time champions. The previous record was five tournaments, from 1974 to 1990.
While Brazil faced a bitter exit, Norway advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time. Their previous best performance was reaching the round of 16 in 1998. Haaland and his teammates will next face the winner of the England - Mexico match.
Guimaraes missed a penalty during Norway's 2-1 victory over Brazil in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup on 5/7.
Erling Haaland headed in the opening goal during Norway's 2-1 victory over Brazil in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup on 5/7.
Erling Haaland doubled the lead with a left-footed shot during Norway's 2-1 victory over Brazil in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup on 5/7.
Thanh Quy (according to Globo)
